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NY1 News: In the Waning Days of His Presidency, Obama Offers Reassurances to 'Dreamers' Fearful of Trump

Jan 10, 2017

In The News

In what will be their last meeting with President Obama, Democratic lawmakers expressed their concern about what the Trump administration will do with the information of so called dreamers — young people who were brought into the United States illegally when they were children.

750,000 of them are part of the DACA program, a policy implemented by Obama in 2012. The measure prevents deportation.

Many of these Democratic members sent a letter to the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. They’re asking DHS to do everything it can to protect the information of DACA enrollees.

Johnson responded saying he shares those concerns.

"We believe these representations made by the U.S. government must continue to be honored," Johnson wrote in a letter.

President Obama is also trying to reassure young immigrants.

During his meeting with the lawmakers, Obama promised to try to protect the program.

"He says he's willing to step out to the arena again and defend those DACA kids that may be subject to arbitrary action," said Congressman Adriano Espaillat.

During his campaign President-elect Trump promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. But in an interview with Time Magazine in December, he said people were going to be quote "happy and proud" about what he will do with the Dreamers.

"They got brought here at a very young age, they've worked here, they've gone to school here," Trump told Time Magazine. "And they're in never-never land because they don't know what's going to happen."

New York Congressman Jose Serrano was in the meeting.

He says Obama told the president elect deporting Dreamers isn’t something Trump wants on his conscience.

"He said that he has spoken to President-elect Trump and that he told him that is just impossible to throw out of the country, deport young people who know no other country," said Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano.

However, at this point it is unclear what Trump will actually do not only about DACA but with all of his different immigration campaign promises as well.